No injuries in Webster Street fire

A small fire that generated a lot of smoke had firefighters searching a sprawling old mill complex on Webster Street tonight.

A piece of machinery in a shop that is part of the complex at 88 Webster St. caught fire about 8:30, and the fire extended to some of the wood surrounding it.

There were no injuries, and most firefighters cleared the area around 9:15 p.m.

District Chief Frank D. DiLiddo III said a working sprinkler system kept the fire under control until firefighters arrived. The district chief said that in such an old, cobbled-together complex, fire can easily find voids and spread quickly. The chief said the majority of the smoke was pouring out of the JEM Cycle Inc. shop across from Jacques Street, but that the fire actually occurred about a quarter-mile away in the complex.

“We just wanted to make sure there was no extension,” the chief said.

The chief said the Fire Investigation Unit was called out to investigate what caused the fire.